Liberia: Forest Reform Committee Continues Consultation

The Technical Secretariat of the Forestry Reform Monitoring Committee (FRMC) on Friday, July 7, 2006 continued efforts aimed at passing new legislative amendments for reform in the forest sector with the holding of a day-long interactive forum at the Thinker's Village bringing together the joint Senate and the House of Representatives Committees on Agriculture and Forestry, a release issued by the Public Awareness Team has indicated.

The release quotes the FDA Managing Director John T. Woods having thanked the lawmakers for their participation and challenged them to examine the drafts, and provide inputs for the proper preparation of the new forest laws.

On his part, the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Forest Committee, Senator Isaac Nyenekartoe Johnson, welcomed the gathering, and looked forward to the full details of the proposed laws.

The lawmakers were briefed on key aspects of the new amendments through a summary PowerPoint package presented by the Liberia Forest Initiative Director Robert Simpson. Areas captured during the discussions included an overview of the proposed amendments to the forest laws, the forestry concession review results and background to the Executive Order # 1, among others.

It can be recalled that pursuant to recommendations from the FRMC, the President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on February 2, 2006, issued Executive Order # The Executive Order mandated the FRMC to address forestland use planning issues, new forest management contracts, contract allocation, and revenue collection.

The FRMC is chaired by the Managing Director of the FDA, Co-chaired by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), and has its membership drawn from government ministries, foreign missions, civil societies, private sector, among others.

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